Ian Holm and Christopher Lee are in negotiations? Fantastic news! I was worried about both of them, and it's great to get semi-confirmation of the return of both actors. I especially can't wait to see what Lee has in store for us... in The Hobbit he will finally get a chance to portray Saruman during his decline; his downfall... I'm sure it will be a much more interesting role than the one in Lord of the Rings. There should be a lot more to the character this time round.

Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis are signed? Well, okay. Good. I was 99% sure that both actors would be returning, so I'm not feeling any relief or surprise at this news – I had a mild 'yes!' moment for a second or two when I saw McKellen's name, but that's pretty much it. Now I just feel deeply contented...